Companies using incentive trips as a motivational tool

As the liner edged out into the deep blue waters of the Atlantic, an excited Manoj B and his wife watched the receding shoreline from the top deck along with hundreds of others. The North European cruise was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something, which Manoj knew, he would probably not have done on his own. Manoj’s overseas trip was courtesy the ICT company he worked for in India. “Money I can always earn, but I would still choose such an amazing trip over a cash payout any day,” he says.

Incentive travel is going places, specially overseas trips, as a reward for good work. That, to many, is sweeter than two wads of currency notes which vanish even before you open them. Increasingly, Indian companies are beginning to realise this.

On the one hand, it’s a motivational tool to encourage employees to go that extra mile for incremental business and service. On the other, it aims at improving the quality of work, foster employee loyalty and reduce attrition. White goods, banks, insurance, telecom, IT, liquor, garments — companies across sectors are becoming more aggressive on this front. “Incentive trips have become part of accepted sales management practice. It is a good way to motivate, very visible, aspirational for many, and with possibilities of learning and exposure and team building in some cases,” says Bimal Rath, founder of HR consulting company Think Talent Services.

With great deals up for grabs and discounts of 20%-plus on bulk corporate bookings, foreign travel is becoming that much more accessible. HR circles say that since bulk bookings in nearby locales like Colombo, Bangkok or Sri Lanka cost almost the same as domestic ones, companies are getting more excited. “Since costs are so competitive, management nowadays rarely frowns on such foreign trips,” says Prabir Jha, senior VP and head of HR at Tata Motors.

At the entry level, there are destinations like Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia, which are finding plenty of takers, while South Africa, Mauritius, Switzerland are the more premium picks. While popular destinations like Hong Kong see as many as 120 groups monthly, even relatively offbeat ones like Istanbul are seeing 30-40 groups per month, claim travel circles. If Mahindra Satyam sent its top performers to the Fifa world cup, a leading MNC bank recently sent its employees to Switzerland, Istanbul or Malaysia based on performances



From: The Economic Times